


Scarlet Dew

by Oksanaray



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, henelope - Freeform, kind of slow burn, punches and kicks in sight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-09-30 09:13:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20444699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oksanaray/pseuds/Oksanaray
Summary: After defiting Malivore, The Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted students finally have a lull time, just in time for the summer break. Hope Mikaelson, surprising herself, accepts the Saltzman family's invitation to vacation with them in France. A few days of sightseeing in Paris, was enough for Hope to board a train to Belgium after being intrigued by a TV news. Hope Mikaelson can't stay away from supernatural problems.





	1. Another Tourist at the Eiffel Tower

**Author's Note:**

> First: The world needs more Henelope.   
Second: English is not my language, I am translating by Google. I apologize for any mistakes.  
Third: This is my first fic, be kind to me.

Hope Mikaelson was bored. She imagined that after spending months defending the Salvatore School of magical creatures, erasing herself from history by jumping into the well, also known as Malivore, returning from Malivore, restoring her existence in history and defeating Malivore would make her want to relax for good. Do nothing. Enjoy life as a normal, or almost normal, teenager on a trip to Europe with your best friends and their family. Perhaps imagining a period of normalcy in her life was why she agreed to go on this trip. However, after facing a huge queue at the box office and buying tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower because Lizzie made a reservation at _58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant_ and forgot to buy tickets to the top of the tower, Hope Mikaelson was sure she needed adrenaline rush in your life, even during the summer holidays.

Just a week went by and Hope didn't know if she could handle the rest of the summer by doing Parisian cliché tourist programming. It is the height of the season in the French city, anywhere there is at least one group of tourists, with over twenty people trying to fill a space originally made to fit five. Even observing the architectural details of the city and its surroundings was difficult as the streets overcrowded. Of course, there were moments that pleased Hope, such as visits to museums and art galleries, thanks to Josie's support when Hope suggested the schedule of the day. If it were up to Lizzie, the three of them would spend every day in a deli, tasting the finest and most exotic typical French foods, after spending hours in clothing and accessories stores tasting the new trends in European fashion.

The relationship between Hope and the Saltzman twins was flowing pretty well, even with the revelation of Josie's responsibility for the fire in Hope's room, Penelope's not-so-sudden departure to Belgium leaving the "The Merge bomb" in the trio's hands, and all events related to Malivore. Hope classified, just in her mind, such as stepping on eggs every time she met the twins, Alaric and Caroline, in the cozy little lounge of the _Hotel Scarlett _over breakfast. At times during meals, the teenagers were afraid to say something that would provoke a negative reaction, triggering a new fight between them early in the morning.

Just over a year separated Hope Mikaelson from now with Hope Mikaelson from the arrival of Landon and Rafael in Salvatore, as well as the appearance of the first creatures and Hope's willingness to always be in action, using their powers and abilities for good. However, friendship with the twins has always been a seesaw of uncertainty, formed by the ups and downs of almost forced interaction, whether by relationships between their relatives or by studying in the same environment for years. Only in recent months, when all the cards were on the table, did a sincere and more cautious friendship begin to form between the trio. To the surprise of all Salvatore, the interaction between Hope and Lizzie was the strongest, and a fast and stable friendship formed within a few months of Hope's return. Of course, not everything changed overnight; sarcastic comments, minor offenses and taunts, but all within the bounds of a healthy friendship – to their level, surrounded their relationship. Hope and Josie, on the other hand, maintained a diplomatic friendship, out of respect for the friendship they had before Josie, forcibly revealed, that she set Hope's room on fire. However, Hope didn't care that much, after all the past was the past.

What bothered her most, and consequently affected her interaction with Josie, was the behavioral change of the then selfless witch. Since Penelope's departure and The Merge's revelation, Josie has taken on a new _persona_, a cartoony mix between gentle Josie and Penelope's own pragmatism. Getting out of Lizzie's shadow gave Josie a new _status quo_ within Salvatore, now taking over social power as the witch's representative - even inheriting the band of loyal witches to her ex. Hope knew she didn't have to look far beyond the surface to see Josie from before, proof of this is Josie's friendly and pleasant behavior towards Hope and Lizzie during the trip. However, after Malivore's events, Hope had an emotional charge that made her ponder troubled relationships. She longed for supernatural problems, not emotional problems. She would never leave Josie as long as she wanted her around; no matter if Josie changed her personality for better or worse, Hope would be there.

Now Hope has kept enough distance not to arguing with Josie or act like an older sister saying "This is not the path you are looking for, young Padawan." Therefore, after the tour of the Eiffel Tower and its surroundings – Hope admitted that the food and view were wonderful, it was not surprising to see Josie following Alaric and Caroline to _Rue Crémieux_ as Hope and Lizzie returned to the hotel. To Lizzie's disappointment, returning to Paris after such a short period was not being as magical as she imagined, some of the attractions ceasing to be special after the first time. Another practice that became common between their friendships was Lizzie's constant presence in Hope's room, even on her trip to France. At first it was just to escape the curious ears of their friends, then Lizzie went on to study sessions – as Josie stopped helping Lizzie, until it was natural for them both in the same space, with Hope reading a comic book or a book of fiction and Lizzie interacting with the world outside Salvatore through social networks.

Entering her room Hope threw herself on one side of the bed reaching the control of the TV, immediately looking for something interesting to watch, preferably in English. Lizzie followed the same path, but settled back, resting her feet on the headboard, focusing on her new pictures on her cell phone. Hope ended up leaving TV on CNN International; after all, it is always good to know what happens around the world even during the summer break. As always, the news was never good, always some building collapsing in a third world country, protests for equal rights in another. Hope wondered if the gray-haired host got tired of reporting almost the same things every day. Not long after, when Hope was about to change channels and daylight in Paris was beginning to fade, the newscaster started a news story that caught Hope's attention:

“A new case of a mysterious disease, resembling rabies in humans, has been confirmed today by the Belgian government. With this new patient, only identified as a young woman, 28 cases reported in the past two months in and around Antwerpen. The Belgian Ministry of Health states that, although they do not know much about this new disease, transmission does not occur over the air. The Ministry also states that so far no patient has succumbed to the disease, having a quick recovery after a few days of hospitalization. What intrigues the researchers and expert is the manifestation of rabies-like symptoms, such as excessive salivation and muscle spasms, but none of the patients reported or had any apparent animal injuries, and there are no reports of contaminated animals in the area. In addition, patients who survive after the onset of symptoms are rare. The government has stated that steps are being taken to find the source of this New Rabies and eradicate the disease.”

Hope Mikaelson was bored and maybe that made her see something strange in the news. Maybe after months of confronting supernatural creatures made her recognize a supernatural pattern, something mysterious to humans. The fact is, the _New Rabies_ caught his eye, and within moments, an idea began to form in his mind. Lizzie, who was not entirely oblivious to the news, turned her attention to her friend when she noticed that she got out of bed and went to the small table in the corner of the room where her notebook was carrying. Lizzie Saltzman, once known for her ant-sized patience, waited a few minutes before getting out of bed and peering at what her friend was researching on the electronic device.

— Hope Mikaelson, I _hope_ you understand that a trip to France means you stay in France – she said casually, hiding a little of the disappointment she was feeling.

She understood the concept, but did anyone honestly believe that Hope Mikaelson would be in France for over a month? Hope's only way to stay in that country for a few more days would be if Alaric, Caroline, or even Josie came into her room at that moment, asking for help in solving any problems. The girl even dared to look at the door for a few seconds, waiting for divine intervention, before looking into her best friend's eyes.

— It's only a few days, Lizzie – she said, with her usual expression of supernatural expertise. Realizing her friend's disappointment, she added, – I will be back before the trip to Cannes. Belgium is only a few hours away from here.

— First, Mikaelson, you're not sure if this is something from our world or just another new emerging disease to try to keep population control of humans. – Before Hope could stop her, Lizzie motioned for Hope to stay quiet, continuing to speak — Second and third, you don't know how long it would take to settle, whatever that is, and Dad would never let you go alone. Fourth, and definitely the least important, I know Hope Mikaelson, _I know_ it takes less than two hours by train to get to Belgium.

Even though Lizzie was right, and the worst that could happen was for the girl to go to the other country for nothing, Hope had already formulated a complete plan to investigate what was happening in Belgium. Convincing Alaric and Caroline should be easy; after all, she has already proven she is more than capable of take care of herself. In addition, if Josie cares to ask where Hope is going, never under any circumstances, even under torture, mention the country that starts with the letter B. Now she just had to buy a train ticket to Antwerpen, as well as find a hotel to travel to host. Finally, breaking eye contact, Hope turned her attention to _Rail Europe_ website_,_ confirming a one-way ticket. Shortly after Lizzie returned to her room, saying goodbye to Hope speaking "Dogs also gets rabies" which meant that although she did not like the idea, she would support her friend's decision.

Two days later, at 8:30 am, Hope boarded a train bound for Antwerpen. When Hope told of her plans to take a short train tour in some countries over breakfast the day before, Alaric and Caroline were not as negative as Hope and Lizzie believed. Caroline found the idea wonderful, giving some tips on places Hope could visit in some countries – probably a way of knowing that Hope would be going in safe places. Alaric at first went against it, claiming that the girl was her responsibility, even outside Salvatore, and traveling alone, even though she was a supernatural being, was not a good idea. After a few arguments in favor of this sudden trip, with Hope almost declaring that she would go anyway, Alaric finally agreed on the condition that Hope should call him or Caroline twice a day. Throughout the negotiation, Josie only spoke once, without interrupting the main conversation, asking her sister if she knew if Hope had any other intentions with this "train route across Europe." To mention the real motivation for the trip, when the twins are so close to the mother, with her vampire hearing, would be to throw a bucket of cold water at Hope's plans. Lizzie, like a good best friend, just said she only knew about it the night before and nothing more.

Although Hope maintains an honest friendship with Lizzie and the boys, including talking about how she feels about her family and everything they have done for her, Hope still has a few things to herself. Nothing that can be called a secret - yet, but little things they wouldn't understand. Things like exchange text messages with Penelope since her return's from Malivore. It all started with Hope asking, “Do you know Hope Mikaelson? ”, receiving a simple“ WTF? ". Even leaving Malivore, Hope did not have its existence restored, so she wondered if the effect would go beyond the ocean. Less than a minute later Hope received another message from Penelope “It's 2 fucking a.m. where I live”, and another “How did you get my number? ”, and one more“ Block U ”. Apparently curiosity overcame Penelope because Hope received another message early in the morning “I think 8 a.m. in your country is an appropriate time to ask: Who is Hope Mikaelson? ".

After explaining everything that happened by message, Hope thought the message exchanges would stop there, but Penelope continued the conversation about random things. The message exchange continued even after they restored Hope's existence. The truth is, Hope has never been interested in interacting with Penelope before. Her lonely _persona_ damaged her friendship with the Saltzman twins, as well as any other student in Salvatore, including the witch at the top of the social chain at that time. Now, Hope knows, the anxiety about boarding the train to Belgium is not because there might be a problem with supernatural creatures, but because she knows Penelope lives in Antwerpen. In addition, she knows that Penelope's natural curiosity is a direct gateway to trouble, just like Hope. Not that Hope didn't trust Penelope's abilities, on the contrary. The little Hope saw during her Salvatore classes was enough to see the potential for Penelope Park to become a powerful witch - and she still thinks Alaric should have insisted that the witch not leave school. The only problem is that Penelope hasn't contacted Hope in over a week.

The Belgian cities, as in France, were full of tourists enjoying the summer. However, Hope didn't care about overcrowding. Indeed, entering the spirit of tourists visiting the city for the first time, Hope stopped to admire the Antwerpen-Centraal, considered one of the most beautiful train station in the world. The marble and metal construction had numerous columns, arches, staircases, and a 75-meter-high dome in the foyer, while the exterior resembled a small, sturdy castle of stone and glass. Hope could stay there for hours, looking at every architectural detail, but she needed to do check-in at the hostel and begin her investigation - including finding Penelope Park.

In theory, Hope's hostel would be just a few minutes' walk or drive from the train station. However, as she got into the taxi parked outside the station, the driver, which sounds like a child learning to read, warned Hope about a traffic jam to the hostel’s main access road. Something about a man trying to destroy a diner entrance by using his head. Immediately Hope asked the driver to take her as close as possible to where the man was. Maybe luck was favoring Hope. Twenty minutes later, ten on foot following the taxi driver's instructions, Hope came to _Lange Nieuwstraat_ Street, where a crowd of people huddled around where the man caused the confusion. Squeezing among the people, Hope managed to get to the police cordon, getting a great view of what happened. The man already been taken to a hospital because all Hope could see was blood everywhere. The diner's glass façade, on the ground floor of what appeared to be a residential building, had some cracks and blood running down the glass, small pools of blood on the sidewalk. Even though she had seen several scenarios of brutality, Hope could never help but feel the shock of witnessing violence, especially from a human.

Now Hope needs to find out which hospital the man was taken, to see if there was any trace of magic in him. The best strategy would be to pretend to be from the man's family, the only problem would be communication, because Hope did not speak any of the three official languages of the country. Meanwhile, a young woman with hazel eyes, and wavy brown hair, walked through the crowds and positioned herself behind Hope, hands on hips and a mocking smile said:

— A Mikaelson and blood on the streets.... What a surprise!


	2. A Giant named Druon Antigoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos! I hope not to disappoint you.
> 
> I tried to write in less than a week, but they called me to work where I ended up in the middle of the forest (I'm a biologist), I didn't take the notebook and I hate writing on the tablet.
> 
> This chapter got a little bigger (the double) than I planned, and I needed to move a few paragraphs to the next or this chapter would get gigantic.
> 
> *The dialogues in italics are in Flemish, the language spoken in Antwerpen (it's a dutch dialect).

Hope Mikaelson was relieved. There weren't many brave people who talked about their family with that mocking tone and escaped death. Of course, Hope wouldn't go that far, like her father and uncles, to defend her family from a nasty phrase - with a slight touch of reality. But even if Hope were a bit more like her family, she was pretty sure some friends would have a free pass to make jokes about the name Mikaelson. After her existence was erased, Hope realized that a name was not as important as she thought. Don't get it wrong, she is proud to be a Mikaelson until the end of her life, but sometimes a family name just means a set of letters. Hope felt exactly like this when her friends and family didn't know who she was, her name was just a set of letters. What kept Hope sane was, with the forgiveness of the word, the hope of being a Mikaelson again. When that happened, Hope was relieved that she had her life back. The girl just didn't understand why she felt an even greater relief as she looked at Penelope Park.

It's a little embarrassing Hope doesn't remember the last time she saw Penelope in flesh and blood. Maybe it was sometime between rehearsals for the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, when Penelope managed to be Josie's date, and Lizzie chose Hope to replace her as a candidate. Memories during the contest are a little lost in Hope's mind, bad memories overlapping the good ones. On second thought, if Hope had seen Penelope after the contest, she is sure she would do something far worse than a new haircut. Anyway, Hope only learned of Penelope's departure the next day, and at that time she didn't care much. After all, the two girls had little interaction in Salvatore that was unrelated to the Saltzman twins. It only took a split second for Hope to recognize Penelope's voice, to turn to look at the newcomer and throw her arms around the witch. To young Mikaelson, Penelope didn't seem to have moved a haircut during those months living in Belgium.

— Do we hug now? – asked the brown-haired witch, a little uncomfortable with the sudden display of affection. Before she had a chance to return the hug, Penelope felt Hope's hands slide down her back. — Oh! What you – and strolling at the thorax, checking her ribs, feeling her abdomen until finally leave your body — Can I do this to you?

— No injuries, good! Hope said, now with both hands in Penelope's head, trying to find signs of trauma.

— Enough!

Finally realizing she was exaggerating, as well as catching the attention of some people around them, Hope released Penelope and stepped back. After seeing all that blood behind her, Hope thought it might have happened to Penelope too, after all her messenger was in total radio silence. The girl just needed to check if Penelope was whole, which until then was confirmed. Penelope, on the other hand, did not understand the concern on the girl's face. Without waiting for a justification, Penelope took Hope's wrist, leading her out of the crowd, stopping in front of the gate of one of the buildings next to the store where the man caused the confusion.

— I'm not complaining, but what are you doing in Belgium?

— You disappeared, Penelope! How could I stay in France knowing that people are getting sick and you haven't texted me for over a week? – Hope answered, a small tone of desperation in her voice. — I had to come!

Before answering Hope, Penelope began fiddling with her cell phone, leaving the girl in front of her indignant. Penelope just wanted to confirm that she hadn't seen a new message from Hope. However, as she suspected, the last message Hope sent said “I just read 'I Hate Fairyland' and I'm not Gertrude !!!!!!!!!!”, the message was sent the day before Hope traveled to France with the Saltzman family.

— Let me get this straight: Did you come to Belgium as if you were my knight in shining armor without sending me a message? – asked the girl, holding back a laugh. — Didn't even try to call to see if I would answer? Hope Mikaelson, you are not of this world.

— No ... I ... That doesn't justify why you stopped texting me during those days!

— You didn't text me either, even so I didn't think you were in danger, even though you were in Lizzie's company, – Penelope said, sounding a little dazed. — And I didn't send a message because I know the only person who knows we're friends now is your aunt Freya. I didn't want to risk Wonder Twins finding out through a message from me.

Penelope was right, the only person who knew about this friendship was Freya Mikaelson. That's because Penelope asked Hope if she knew how to reverse a baldness spell - because she cast a spell on an annoying classmate, and no one was getting the boy's hair back. Hope didn't know how to help, luckily, she was spending the weekend in New Orleans and asked her aunt. Freya needed the original spell cast to know how to reverse, Penelope found it easier to explain with a video and that's the story. Hope wasn't hiding their friendship out of shame or something similar, she just didn't want to face the reaction of her friends. Lizzie would be enraged because Penelope is The Dark Lord. MG would be disappointed, because the girl stopped talking to him saying she no longer wanted a connection with Salvatore. Hope can't imagine Josie's reaction, but she doesn't want to get a fireball in her face.

— Nervermind ... Why did you think I would be in danger?

— Because I thought you would somehow get involved in this New Rabies situation, – she said, looking away from the girl, because with every word she spoke it seemed more stupid to think Penelope would need help with that. Still, she needed to be honest. — I was scared.

— I'll hold you now, Tribrid Freak – said the girl, immediately hugging Hope. — Thanks for caring about me, – so Penelope tried to mimic the movements Hope had done in the previous hug, but the girl quickly took the witch's hands off her back.

— That was weird, right?

— Definitely. But if you want to use your hands on my body under other circumstances, I am totally in favor.

— Penelope!

— I love it when they speak my name too, – the witch began to laugh at the look of shame on Hope's face. It couldn't be so easy to tease your friend, right? — Just kidding, Hope. Let's talk in my apartment, – she said, turning to open the gate behind them. For this Hope did not expect. Does Penelope live on the same street, a few yards from where a man tried to break into a store using his head against the glass? Was that a coincidence or did Hope get it right and would Penelope be in danger with the New Rabies?

Penelope's apartment building was a construction squeezed between two buildings, leaving room for only two apartments per floor – one overlooking the street and one inside the block. Penelope's was on the second and top floor, facing the street. Hope realized that even with the small space, Penelope managed to organize the place. The two floor-to-ceiling glass windows provided natural lighting for the environment. They had two small sofas, one against one of the windows and the other facing it, against a cube shelf full of books and some decorative objects that divided the space. Beside the bookcase was a small round table, with a cat sleeping on a stack of pizza boxes. The small kitchen had only a sink, a small stove, a microwave, a retro fridge, and a wall cabinet. Facing the kitchen was a small closet, by the front door, which Hope assumed was where the girl kept her clothes. What would be the room was just a single bad near the kitchen, separated by a curtain made of colored thread, and on top of the bed was another bed pinned to the wall, making a makeshift bunk. The apartment ended with the small bathroom – the only room divided by a wall. Despite the young, modern style, Hope always imagined that Penelope would have a huge apartment, not nearly the width of Salvatore's corridors.

— Make yourself comfortable, – said the owner, as she sat on the couch near the bookshelf. Hope went the same way, but sat on the couch near the window.

— Nice place! – Hope said, still observing the details of the place. — Does your school don't have dorms? You don't say much about her.

— Oh! That's true. Well, the school is inside the University of Antwerpen, there is a hidden block from humans dedicated to the “art of witchcraft”. Younger witches study at a downtown school, because it makes no sense to have children at the university.

— You didn't want to live with your mother?

— It was her idea that I stay in Antwerpen. My mother works and lives in Beveren, it's about 40 minutes by subway. Imagine me taking the subway every day to study here.

— It's not that far, Penelope.

— Of course it is, Hope! Why move me by subway to another city if I can walk or cycle? It is good for health and the environment.

— Speaking of health; Are you investigating this new disease in the city?

— Absolutely not, – answered the witch, shaking her head to reinforce her answer. — I'm trying to keep myself out of trouble. Which seems impossible now that the problem has practically knocked on my door – Hope couldn't tell if Penelope was referring to the problem as the freaked-out man across the street or her coming to Belgium. Probably a little of both. — I suppose you know something since you came here.

— Actually, I just know what they're reporting on the news. I thought about trying to get something more solid with this man, going to the hospital pretending to be a relative, but I don't even know where they took him.

— So, you have the equivalent of nothing! I hear that the government is sending patients to AZ Monica Hospital, which has a ward to house patients with radiation. Since they don't know what is making people sick, they are putting patients in isolation.

— Right! So, I need to go there.

— No. You and your backpack will go wherever you decided to sleep today, because I need to go to work in thirty minutes. We will both go to the hospital tomorrow, because I'm sure you can't speak Flemish. Where are you hosted?

— Penelope, I can handle myself, don't worry, – Hope said trying to emanate confidence, but the girl in front of her stared at her ready to kick Hope's ass if necessary. — All right, we can do it tomorrow. I made a reservation at the ASH, I think it's near here.

\- It's close, let's walk there. Then I can go to Pizza Hut to make pizza, and steal more boxes for my cat, because the school encourages us to work with humans during the vacations.

So, Hope finally checked in at her hostel, taking the only private bedroom. Despite being struck by the beauty of the city when she arrived at the train station, Hope stayed at the hostel because she didn't trust her stubbornness and would eventually go to the hospital alone. Hope decided to call Alaric to keep up the arrangement of always keeping them informed of where and how she was. The two had a brief conversation about what Hope planned to do in the coming days. The girl said she would visit some museums she found in Luxembourg – of course she wouldn't tell about Belgium, and then was thinking of going to Germany. Hope also contacted Lizzie and blurted out that she had found Penelope Park on the street, a huge accident. Lizzie stated that Hope should stay away from Satan, and Hope omitted the part Penelope would pass by at the hostel at 8 am to aid the investigation.

  
The next morning, Penelope was waiting for Hope outside the hostel holding two rental bikes. According to her, "Only rich or lazy people use cars in Europe." At first Hope was insecure, the last time she rode a bicycle was when she was still a child. Penelope assured that it was not dangerous, the city was full of bike lanes and cars respected cyclists. Then the girl guided Hope south of the city, arriving at AZ Monica Hospital in about 20 minutes, securing the bikes at one of the many points intended for that type of transport. Once again Hope was forced to follow the other witch. Penelope entered the hospital with a complete plan in mind, something that would not require much effort and no mind-blowing spells. They wouldn't even have to lie, which would be a nice bonus. Heading east to the building on the 4th floor, Hope saw a small reception at the end of a corridor where a man typed without taking his eyes off the computer screen. "Leopold," as the name tag hung on her clothing, only noticed their presence when Penelope practically hung herself at the reception desk - for the hospital lab, and greeted the man. After the small shock of being caught off guard, the man grinned as he recognized Penelope. Hope guessed they were exchanging greetings in Flemish, not understanding any word exchanged.

— _Please say you have access to the New Rabies patient file_, – asked the witch still hanging from the reception desk.

— _I have limited access to exam results only, but we can break into the system_.

— _Great! I need to impress this girl, and I owe you one for this_ – now speaking in English, Penelope asked Hope — Can you do a camouflage spell so no one can see we're here?

— Sure, but what exactly are we going to do here? – see asked as watched Penelope jump over the counter and land next to Leopold.

— We will access the records of all patients suspected of New Rabies. There is no guarantee that we would get information by going straight to them in the isolation area. Jump here and cast the spell.

— Nullum visa laris, – Hope proclaimed, then jumped over the counter. — We just need to be silent if someone comes by, he's the only visible person.

After a few minutes of watching the man frantically enter various codes on a computer programming tab, the girls finally had access to the patient records by printing them out. With the files in hand, the witches began flipping through the pages trying to decipher the medical terms. Hope's situation was a little more complicated because everything was written in a language she didn't understand. Seeking a simple solution, she searched the internet for writing symptoms in the local language. After locating the word on the chart, she began to translate the symptoms. Some recurred in almost all patients, others appeared in two or three, but the only common symptom was violent behavior inflicted on others or themselves. Penelope, with her own copy of the files in hand, decided to read what the patients reported may have been the source of the disease. Sometime during the reading Leopold started a conversation with Penelope, the girl kept up with short answers while the man chattered with the witch. When the man stopped talking, Penelope called Hope and said, "In short: all patients are human." Meaning that was the only thing in common between them.

After reading the files three times, Hope and Penelope agreed that this was being pointless. The witch with hazel eyes puts the sheets of paper in the small backpack she was carrying, you never know when they would need that information again. The pair left the hospital in silence, each wondering what might have been missed in their search.

— So, – Hope began, — we got practically nothing at the hospital. Maybe the police files have more details?

— The police? I don't believe they know much more than they have in the patient files. Apart from the violence, which may be justified by the disease, the police would not initiate an investigation.

— Why do Dorian and Alaric make an investigation seem so easy? Our only solid information so far is that all victims are human, mouth-foaming, prone to violence, not airborne and nothing else. There is no distinction of gender, color, age. Some are tourists and some residents.

— If I were to kick, I'd say the werewolves are behind it, – Penelope said, causing Hope to stare in disbelief as the girl developed the hunch. — Think to me: anger is common in dogs; werewolves should encounter dogs. Then get it touch with humans. Maybe this is a werewolf-transmitted STD.

— Penelope, rabies can be transmitted by any contaminated mammal. And are you suggesting that a werewolf had sex with a dog?

— You should know! Have you ever been attracted to a poodle?

— I will kill you, Penelope Park!

— Calm down, Mikaelson puppy. Sorry for the mean joke. But you said yourself that the disease is not airborne. It needs to be transmitted somehow.

— But we cannot blame a species without evidence. I can't believe we just started and we're already in a dead end, – Hope said with dismay.

— Well ... I didn't want to do that, but since we need information, I have no choice. There's this downtown group called Midnight Texas that supposedly has eyes and ears all over the city.

— And why haven't we been to them before?"

— Because I didn't want to risk anyone seeing me near them. I have a reputation here, Hope.

One of the attractions of the city of Antwerp is the dozens of sculptures scattered around the city streets, depicting the history and culture of the country. Among them is a sculpture of a giant hand on _Meir Street_, symbolizing the severed hand of giant Druon Antigoon - a legend that gave rise to the name of the city. It was impossible not to notice the giant hand in a small circular square on the sidewalk of that street. However, something that drew in that square drew as much attention as sculpture. A group of ten men, all dressed in the best Western cowboy stereotype of Western movies, wearing a hat, waistcoat, boots, and even a scarf around his neck, all in black. To Penelope's credit, the group did look peculiar. To further increase the level of weirdness, some people approached the group to take pictures with them, making Hope wonder why anyone wanted to take a picture with a cowboy in the middle of Europe. Maybe she would ask for a picture of someone dressed up as a Viking or a medieval knight. Although her reputation might be at stake, Penelope seemed unmindful of stopping her bike right in front of the men in hats sitting on one of the benches next to the giant hand. Sensing that Penelope should take the lead again, Hope stopped just behind the witch, but close enough to act if necessary.

— Hey, cowboy! We have a deal, – said the witch, catching the attention of one of the men. He was the only one who didn't have a cigarette in his hand. The apparently interested man stood up, approaching Penelope, who continued: — I'll give you what you want for information, I need answers.

— _Prepayment_, _Princess_.

Before heading downtown, Penelope made a short detour to her apartment claiming she needed to get something there. Hope waited less than five minutes outside the building, wondering what it would be. Now the witch was pulling a small bundle of fabric from her backpack, hiding the contents, and handing it to the cowboy in front of her. The man unfolded the fabric enough to take it to his nose and inhale deeply, immediately smiling.

— _It's stronger, I liked it_, – he said, satisfied. With a little curiosity, Hope approached trying to feel something, but all she could do was smell Penelope. — _What you want to know_?

— In English now, – the witch ordered, watching the man put the package in a ridiculous vest pocket. — We need to know about the supernatural activities in the city. Is there any disturbance in the Force? Suspicious people, people who shouldn't be here? Anything about humans getting sick.

— In fact, there are. About four months ago a new pack of _honden_, werewolves, arrived in town. They say that they are the new owners of the port.

— Got a pack in town? Why wasn't I informed?

— They bought the area of _Zuidnatie_, at least a part of it. We don't know what they are doing at the docks, but the Elders want to keep it under the covers; even excluding royalty, – said the cowboy, returning to his seat among his companions. — This city has a system, Princess: any creature has free access, if their business does not affect the safety of witches. Certainly, what they are doing there will not affect us.

— So, there's a pack in town, humans are getting sick, and the Elders are hiding information?

— If Your Highness needs more information, the price will remain the same, – the man said, bowing in a mock and ended the matter.

Hope could easily tell that the conversation made her more confused instead of helping her investigate. So much information in a five-minute conversation left her full of questions, such as: Was Penelope right, and was the New Rabies related to werewolves? What was that cowboy got from Penelope? What and who were the Elders? There were royal wizards and was Penelope one of them? And since when did the girl refer to Star Wars? The two girls spent two weeks arguing over which franchise - Star Trek and Star Wars. Hope had to ignore her for three days after Penelope confessed that she had never watched a Jedi movie. Hope even tried to ask the witch, who was now guiding Hope by pushing the bike down the sidewalk, but Penelope just said, "All in due time," and kept walking until she found a place to secure the bikes. That air of mystery Penelope insisted on using was annoying Hope – that game could work with others not her, and Hope was about to release her frustration when the girl opened the door of a King Burger saying "Now it's time to eat" waiting Hope to come in. To Hope's astonishment, she didn't realize how the time passed so quickly between the hospital visit and the meeting with the cowboys in black.

— The witches here have this idea of superiority, even if the country is ruled by a royal human family, the real bosses are the witches. Every two years all witches who have been living, working or studying in Belgium for more than three months participate in a competition that tests a wizard's abilities to determine witch’s royalty, – said the wavy brown hair witch as she savored her fries. “These royal witches take part in the Belgian witch council and, in theory, hear about important things happening in the country. But this is kind of a joke, because royalty has no active voice on the board. The real decision makers are the Elders: representatives of the country's oldest and most influential families, as if they were the Belgian Illuminati.

— So, the midnight cowboy calling you princess ... are you a princess, Penelope Park? – Hope asked, noting how the witch in front of her got embarrassed. The organization of the witches in Belgium was interesting, and she would certainly want more information about it, but Penelope being a fictional princess was a goldmine for their teasing.

— Technically, yes. I ranked first among women, which would yield me the crown, but the king and queen need to be residents of Brussels.

This left Hope speechless. She knew Penelope was a powerful witch, but to be first in competition against an entire country was another history. That was awesome. The girl should be seriously pursuing her studies here, unlike her time at Salvatore. Maybe the whole story of New Rabies in Belgium, and finding Penelope so fast, is a sign for Hope to try to convince her to return to the US. You never know when a new threat will appear in Mystic Falls - that place is the favorite place for villains.

— The whole competition was more like a 'win who's not caught cheating, – Penelope said, as if reading Hope's thoughts, — so it's no big deal to win. My skills in circumventing the system are better than practicing magic. And I won the last race thanks to Josie.

— Josie? – Hope asked, nearly choking on her soda. Did Penelope's ex help her?

— The last test was to escape a bonfire because of the witch hunt in the Middle Ages. Things in Belgium were heavy at that time. After Josie cast that fire spell on me, I learned thirty ways to protect myself against fire. I escaped in less than twenty seconds, end of story – and that made Hope laugh out loud. An act of jealousy and anger by Josie against Penelope, which Hope took advantage of to blackmail the girl and use dark magic, eventually made Penelope royalty. This was hilarious. She wanted to tell the Saltzman twins right now.

— I'm glad to make you laugh, but we need to hurry – said the witch princess, still looking ashamed of her new title. — Look at this, – she said, showing a map of the city on his cell phone. — _Zuidnatie_ is an area in the harbor almost on the edge of the city with the Netherlands. If we take the main road, we get there in an hour. But we will go some alternate routes, cutting out of town, because it's always nice to have the element of surprise.

— Wait! We will not go there like that. I came here thinking you were in danger; I won't drag you there now.

— Hope, didn't I just say I'm one of the most powerful witches in Belgium? I'm not telling both of us to face a pack of werewolves, let's just make an acquaintance.

She had little to do when Penelope Park was engaged in some task, which was what Hope confirmed after losing her argument about the next steps in the investigation. Although Hope wanted to take it easy - ignoring the fact that she hopped on the first train to Belgium without any solid plan, Penelope used the best possible move to convince the girl: how much longer should they wait until someone dies from this new disease? Then, Hope let her be guided by Penelope.

Hope couldn't remember the last time she felt happy while trying to "save the world." Feel happy when you saved the day? Of course, it was pretty much last month. Who wouldn't be happy after defeating one of the worst monsters in existence? With the bonus of having no fatality among your friends and allies. But she couldn't talk when she felt happy during a chase, or during the search for information. Perhaps the endorphins released by cycling practically all day were acting on their well-being. Possibly his partner in action was also the reason. As they cut through the neighborhood streets to the harbor, toward the city limits, Penelope maintained a serious, even tense stance at times. After the number of buildings decreased, leaving only trees and pasture, Penelope finally relaxed – immediately affecting Hope's mood for the better. It didn't look like she was pedaling for a possible trap, it felt like she was enjoying the summer vacations like a normal person.

At times Penelope would fire ahead, displaying her months moving around the city like that. Hope even tried to reach the girl the first few times, failing after the fourth time. She believed she couldn't ride for more than ten minutes straight, even in the early morning, if it wasn't for her werewolf resistance. Hope even considered commenting on this to Penelope, praising the girl's energy and disposition, but Penelope didn't need to have her ego inflated. But what Hope liked most was when Penelope pedaled beside her on the road, talking as if the Atlantic Ocean still separated them. Who cares about an action plan for how to proceed at the port? Hope preferred to know about the day Penelope bought a watermelon ice cream from the little shop near her house, leaving the little pot with half the ice cream on the table because she had to go to the bathroom, and when she returned she saw her cat licking the ice cream. Or that there was a secret library at her school, with restricted access to royal wizards only, and Penelope spends every free period between classes learning ancient and badass spells. Hope couldn't help but smile when the girl said she had been in the zoo for hours just to see the baby elephant that was finally released into the public area.

Hope also shared some recent memories, such as the night she caught Pedro about to watch Lion King in the video room. She asked if she could watch a movie with him, anyone but that one – they ended up watching Pocahontas. Or how people stopped looking at her with pity, because besides nobody remembering her for months, she still lost her boyfriend to one of her only friends – not that it matters anyway. When she found out it was strange, shocking, a double betrayal, but Hope understood that she didn't exist, and Landon e Josie matched each other. Even with Josie looking more and more like Penelope - which made Penelope almost fall off her bike from laughing so much, their relationship was even cute. Being totally honest with Penelope, Hope said she was relieved when she saw that Landon was happy dating someone else, because Hope would eventually ruin their relationship to the point that they couldn't even be friends. Jumping into Malivore after breaking the boy's neck was just a small demonstration of what she could do to save the world, but not they relationship. How could she have a healthy relationship with him after this? Hope imagined Penelope would utter some sarcastic phrase about her love life or stay in silence after such a deep confession in the middle of nowhere, but the girl, like a box full of surprises, said “I understand you, Hope Mikaelson. You're talking to The Blair Bitch who dated Josie Saltzman, remember?

No one could forget this iconic Salvatore couple. The two opposite ends of personalities suddenly taking on a relationship. The students talked about it for weeks, while Hope just watched their behavior, being together and apart. Stopping to analyze, Hope realized that both relationships were not so different. Penelope tried to protect Josie from the world, starting with Lizzie, but with distorted and dubious attitudes that led to the breakup. Josie was heartbroken and Penelope was labeled the villain. After realizing how the twins' dynamics worked, Penelope tried to change Josie without anyone noticing, and Hope guesses, things only got worse after she discovered that something bad would happen to the sisters. How many times did Hope leave Landon behind because she thought he was fragile and would be in danger, underestimating her boyfriend in much the same way Penelope had with Josie? The only difference between the two was that Hope had a clear justification for her actions: they had unknown magical creatures attacking they, she needed to be the hero and by the end of the day everything would be all right again. While Penelope chose to hide the reason behind her actions, being called selfish by everyone, including Hope, for being mean to Josie. Maybe the witch really understood her, because Penelope knew Josie would be better off without her and Hope realized Landon would be happy with this new Josie.

Deep in thought, Hope barely registered the trees losing place to the buildings and the tension in Penelope returning to the surface. It only took almost three hours to pedal. They stopped before they reached the harbor, hiding their bikes among the bushes behind one of the first buildings that heralded the return of civilization. Even though it was just one of the docks in Antwerpen's harbor, _Zuidnatie_ was gigantic. A skyline of container mountains between administrative buildings, haulage trucks, cranes, and hundreds of employees pacing. How to find a pack in that place?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make Penelope a cat person, although I don't understand this of cat or dog person, because I am “all animal person” (I can say I have a small zoo at home). 
> 
> Another thing I find a little strange is the personal space. Here in Brazil we hug anyone. If we just met now, you can be sure you'll have a hug. Wish Hope and Penelope with more physical contact are no stranger to you.
> 
> Again: sorry for any mistake, English is not my language


	3. The efficiency of the second largest European port

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who's back! Sorry for the delay, I got sick for a few weeks.
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos!
> 
> If you have already forgotten what happened in the previous chapters, here is a summary: Hope was bored on her trip to France with the Saltzman family until she learned of a mysterious illness in the city where Penelope lives. The girls developed a friendship after Hope texted Penelope to find out if the witch remembered who Hope was. Arriving in Belgium, Hope found Penelope soon after another case of the disease occurred, right on the street where the witch lives - which is now considered royalty after winning a tournament. Using Penelope's connections for information, the girls began to investigate what could be causing the disease that hitherto only affects humans.

Hope Mikaelson was frustrated. She has always been facing threats against her life. People around her, especially her family, and herself face these threats as if it were just another day of the week. Of course, looking now, after all the bad guys were defeated, it was easy to say that she was always sure her side would be the winner. For Hope, trust was a word that always surrounded the Mikaelson family: trust each other; trust your powers; trust in the plan that seems doomed to failure; Trust the family. So, Hope grew with confidence in herself; the girl was powerful, intelligent, sometimes luck helped her, and in the end, she always got what she wanted. Their frustration, however, was not related to whether they would succeed in this investigation. Hope believed that one way or another she would discover the source of the disease. The girl's frustration was directly related to Penelope Park.

  
It all started when the two started exploring _Zuidnatie_. It was no easy task to mingle, the girls clearly did not belong here. In addition to most of the employees being men in their thirties, they all wore uniforms and personal safety equipment, especially helmets. On the plus side, none of them seemed to care about the girls' presence there, after all they were only in the administrative area, not in the danger zone where the ships were moored, and the containers were being moved from side to side. Probably someone's daughters, they thought. Hope took advantage of the free access to the area to search for the pack and to memorize her way back - because she was sure that if they needed to run, this place would become a maze. She wasn't so sure if Penelope was focused on the task. It seemed that the more they walked between the buildings, the more Penelope's tension increased, her body more withdrawn, almost like a snake ready to pounce. Even so, the witch seemed to be sure which way to go and Hope followed her: enter an alley between two buildings, turn left, go straight for four more buildings, right, left... a few more minutes walking, and finally they stopped at the back of a large warehouse.

— Do you know when a person goes to the circus even though they're afraid of clowns, and they have a feeling of knowing exactly where the clown is?

The question took Hope by surprise, causing the girl to be startled by the strange question asked after minutes of silence. She, of course, did not know what Penelope was talking about. Why would anyone afraid of clowns go to the circus?

— It's like a sixth feeling — she continued after Hope just shook her head in denial. — If the person knows that the clown is in the same area, they will know the exact location.

— I don't think this is how clown fear works.

That answer made Penelope take a deep breath, clearly not achieving the goal of the conversation. Hope glanced both ways to see if they were still alone, after all they were standing too long behind that warehouse – even if it's only been a minute.

— Fine! I may or may not — Penelope approached Hope, lowering her voice — to have a little fear of werewolves.

— What?

— It's weird, I know, but listen to me — she continued her approach until she came face to face with Hope. Normally this lack of space between them would be fraught with intimidation between both parties, but the visible tension in Penelope made Hope feel that the girl was vulnerable, needing a safe place. She held the girl's gaze in front of her as she listened to her speak. — Whenever I know there's a werewolf around, I always know which way he is. The closer — the witch pressed a hand to the warehouse wall — the more terrified I get.

— Is that serious? — Hope asked, looking at the girl's hand still leaning against the wall. — Are you a werewolf GPS?

— I don't feel all werewolves in one place. Is more to feel the pack. The energy of several gathered werewolves terrifies me. But that only happens when I know they are around.

— Are you afraid of werewolves?

— Not all the time — she admitted.

— What about Salvatore?

— It was a nightmare at first — Penelope said, taking her hand off the wall. — It took a while to get used to it. To trust them. Of course, I avoided being around them when it wasn't necessary. I just wished I hadn't watched all the werewolf horror movies when I was a kid before my family said “Hey Penelope, you're a witch! Werewolves, Vampires, all real”.

It was easy to see a little Penelope, hiding in front of a television in the middle of the night, wide-eyed watching a bloody 1980s movie – because Hope knows she prefers to watch B movies between 1950 and 2000. It was possible that Penelope's fear arose after she knew that werewolves are real, the movies only distorted reality for the child. Hope tried to remember if she too came to watch hidden movies as a child. No. She spent most of her time painting and drawing, sometimes using magic without even knowing what it was, no horror movies that could traumatize a child.

— What about me? — Hope asked.

— What about you?

— I'm part wolf, you know ... mom and dad werewolves.

— No — she said, smiling almost innocently —, you may be a powerful creature, but you don't scare me. Hope Mikaelson. Besides, I wouldn't be so close to you if I was afraid of you.

To emphasize her words, Penelope took another step forward, completely invading Hope's personal space. For a second Hope thought to back off, but she saw the challenge in the witch's eyes. Confident Penelope was back, and Hope was ready for the next step - unsure if it was literally or figuratively.

— We need a plan — says the hazel eyes witch.

— Back door. Hide. Observe. Get out.

— No punches in your plan, I liked it.

— Are you sure you can get in?

— Yes. I just must do something first — before Hope could ask what Penelope would do, she saw and felt Penelope doing. A step forward, two hands on her face, a slight pressure on her lips for a kiss that didn't last long enough for Hope to close her eyes. —For good luck.

The witch didn't wait for Hope to react and, with a smug smile, headed for the back door, casting a spell to unlock it. Meanwhile, Hope remained in place, trying to understand why she was feeling euphoric and angry at the same time. She knew Penelope would never kiss her without Hope signaling it might be a possibility. During message exchange all these months, there were some moments of flirting between them – especially when there was a glass with some alcohol in hand. There were also times when Hope thought they would be a cute couple, because the two got together in many ways. Only once did Hope wonder if Josie and she would challenge Penelope's attention if she wasn't so isolated in Salvatore.

However, all these moments were set aside; they both pretended to be an innocent joke because of an ocean away, terrible timing, and of course Josie. She just didn't expect a kiss like that. She didn't expect a kiss at all, but now that she knows what it felt like to be kissed by Penelope, she wished it were different. Not a good luck kiss that only lasted a few seconds. She wanted more. Something deeper and with a different meaning – good luck to who? – not a kiss behind a warehouse with a pack of werewolves inside. She suspected that was Penelope's intention: to do something they both wanted, in an unconventional way, leaving room for Hope to move forward or backward. Penelope took the first step and Hope should take the other step, but not in that place, which frustrated her. She needed to focus on the mission, not kiss Penelope once more

Hope came back to reality hoping to find Penelope a few feet ahead, but all she saw was an open door. Of course, the girl would enter the warehouse without waiting for Hope, even though she had just admitted to being afraid of werewolves. The tribrid rushed through the door cautiously and immediately found her partner waiting half-hidden near a container. Hope took a quick look at the place: it was wide, with containers forming a few rows – perfect for hiding; there were noises from a vehicle circling, men's voices giving instructions. Nothing that could indicate if they were responsible for the new disease spreading through the city. They needed to find a better place to look. Moving cautiously between the containers, the two girls managed to get close enough to the warehouse center where the werewolves were working. The men were busy pulling wooden boxes out of a container. Some were as wide and narrow as a television, needing two men to carry. Others were a square carried by only one man. A forklift machine carried a huge box close to another box of the same size in the middle of the warehouse.

The girls found it very normal, especially since they didn't know what to look for, until one of the men began opening one of the boxes. Despite the distance, Hope could see a painting being carefully removed from the box – the man was wearing latex gloves. What really caught Hope's eye was a painting exactly like the first one placed inside the box. The girl had to look at Penelope to make sure she was seeing that too. Penelope was grimacing, usually reserved for when she didn't understand why she didn't hit the spell even though she spoke all the words correctly. She wasn't expecting that either. A second box was opened, with another painting being replaced. Sometimes a box contained a vase, or other artifact that looked quite old, and was immediately replaced with an identical copy. The process continued for a long time until Hope felt a vibration in her pocket.

Panic hit her face as her cell phone started ringing. High. Hope didn't believe she made a beginner mistake. She didn't even remember that she had her cell phone, but she should have checked anyway. The look of dread on Penelope's face betrayed the approaching men. Of course, they heard the cell phone ring. Hope heard one of them order a group to come around – they would be surrounded soon; they should be already running out of the warehouse. However, when she looked at Penelope once more, the witch was already finishing a nonverbal spell. A step to the side and a spin with the body set the girl on a straight track with two men running to where they were. Seconds later they were thrown back by an invisible force. One of them hit a third man just behind it and the other flew so far that it hit some wooden boxes. In a run or fight situation Penelope would choose to fight.

Hope positioned herself next to Penelope as soon as she realized that sneaking out wouldn't be an option. Casting a similar spell, Hope managed to take down two more men. The good news was that it wasn't full moon night – it wasn't even night yet. The bad news was that they were outnumbered, and even without transforming, they still had increased strength and speed. Now that they knew the invaders were witches, they would be prepared to fight. It would be a difficult fight, not impossible. In a different situation the werewolves could even get the better of it. However, they would face a Mikaelson witch, with much combat experience, and a witch who recently proved to be one of the most powerful in the country.

The first thing the girls did was approach the center of the warehouse, gain more space to perform the spells – without the risk of hitting the other – and widen the field of view. The new location would also prevent them from getting trapped in the containers. In Hope's count there were at least 15 more to take down, for Penelope there were 300. Werewolves began the attack: four men advanced toward the girls, successfully dodging their spells. Hope dodged one of the onslaughts, immediately striking a punch to his temple and knocking her out. The second man seized the moment to hug her from behind, pinning her arms around her waist – Hope realized that the force the man used would severely hurt a normal witch. To unbalance her opponent, Hope hooked one leg into the man's leg, creating a kind of hook, then propelled her body backward. Both fell to the ground, but it was enough for the girl to be free and hit the elbow in the man's face. A third man stepped back, tripped over Hope, and fell. Still on the floor, Hope saw that the man had both hands on his face and was screaming in pain. Rising, she saw Penelope allow the fourth man to capture her, just for her to bring her hand to his neck. Seconds later the man released her, agonized in pain as he fell to the floor with his hands around his neck. Penelope was not so skilled in close combat, so she didn't want to give her opponent a chance to recover quickly and catch her by surprise. That's why she chose to combine physical abilities – or lack thereof – with a variation of a metal melting spell. In this case, melting the skin, muscles and even bones.

Hope's phone kept ringing – four, five times as the werewolves advanced in small groups. With their backs to each other, leaving no room for blind spots, the witches entered an almost perfect sync. It was so different from the first time they had partnered against zombies in the woods. Their fighting skills, for different reasons, were more refined. They were more confident in themselves and in each other, unlike that night when Penelope hardly knew she should aim in the head. Although they received some kicks and punches, they both felt they could spend the rest of the day fighting. Fortunately, the number of opponents was rapidly decreasing, some who were on the ground even tried to raise for a second round, but the last werewolf was defeated. Hope immediately performed a healing spell on the werewolves who faced Penelope, because the last thing they needed now was for someone to die. Meanwhile, the girl took ropes and chains that were in the warehouse – or anything that fit – to tie the men.

— I never want to fight you — Hope said, finishing the cure on the last werewolf she met.

— Just don't be an evil wolf and you don't have to worry — she said as she tried to drag the latex-gloved man into a box, the task made easier with Hope's help. The girls left him sitting on the floor with his back against the box, running a rope twice over his body. — A phone call, Hope?

— Sorry!

— Who are you? — asked the man in the gloves, barely regaining consciousness.

— Oh no. We ask the questions here — Hope said, she was a little relieved that the man spoke English. — Who are you?

— You must be crazy if you think I'll answer anything.

— Let's be a little cliché: we can do it the easy way or the hard way, you choose. For the situation you are in I suggest the easy option.

— He'll pick the easy one because they just lost a fight against a royalty witch — Penelope said. — I'm sure one of them hit the princess in the ribs.

Amid the cursing of the man, who realized that his and his companions' situation was only getting worse, Hope looked at Penelope. The witch kept her right hand on the rib near her stomach. Immediately Hope tried to pull over to perform a healing spell but was prevented by Penelope who said the pain was minimal, nothing she could not bear. Despite claiming to be fine, the girl asked Hope to conduct the conversation as she sat in a chair she found in the warehouse, watching the rest of the werewolves still unconscious.

— We were just doing our job — he said. — We transport artwork when museums transfer to an exhibition or purchase a new piece.

— A very legitimate job if you weren't replacing the original with a fake.

— Again: just doing our job.

— Oh really? Is your job to take an original work of art, replace it with a fake, and hand the fake to another museum? And do you take the originals to an anonymous clandestine buyer?

— Exactly that, you deduced well — he answered. — Or you already knew that, because the Elders oversee this operation.

Judging from Penelope's reaction, Hope supposed the girl didn't know that. The witch didn't know about the pack installed in the harbor months ago, of course she wouldn't know what they were doing there and at whose command. However, the man could be lying, trying to soften the crime by blaming other people.

— Do you think this is true?

— Can be. A family that is part of the Elders owns a few museums, runs the board, things like that. There's a lot of artwork here — Penelope said as she looked around, seeing several boxes damaged during the fight —, making a perfect fake art takes time. Surely someone from inside the museum is in the middle of it.

— Why would I lie about the Elders? They rule this city. They rule this country! Do you really think anyone would spread lies about them and live happily ever after?

— We’re not interested in that ... for now — Hope continued. — We came to you because of the New Rabies. What are you doing to make those humans sick?

— What? We have nothing to do with it.

— It's pretty suspicious that the disease starts in the same window of time you arrived in town.

— And this is your proof? Lots of people in and out of this town, your stupid witch. My men and I carry cargo. Sometimes we do some illegal things, like this, but we have nothing to do with human disease.

— Let's go — Penelope said, rising from her chair. — Our information was wrong.

— Are you sure?

— No. But I saw nothing that could indicate that they have something related to the disease. Besides, I can't identify how the disease is transmitted, you probably don't know either — Penelope wanted to say they were idiots for being completely unprepared, but she would never speak more than she already said in front of that werewolf.

— Now that you've both ruined half of the goods, the least you can do is let me go so as not to delay delivery of what's left.

— Sure! Do you want a lemonade too?

The girls walked out the same door they entered, leaving all the men tied inside. Penelope immediately picked up her cell phone and made an anonymous report to the police. The Elders financed some luxuries for royalty witch, the girl certainly enjoyed every gift she received, but the money would have to come from somewhere. She suspected the Elders had been doing illicit business to keep money - and power - for so long, but she didn't care how they did it. Penelope only asked the Elders for one thing on the day of their symbolic coronation, even without giving reasons, it should not be so difficult for them. She asked to be warned if too many werewolves entered the city. Again, she didn't care how they got money; denouncing this illegal millionaire operation was a small act of revenge.

Penelope decided that they should go back the fastest way, justifying that they no longer needed to hide since the werewolves saw them. She didn't want to pedal more than she needed either – her body ached, but Hope didn't need to know that. Hope preferred to make the ride in silence, just listening to Penelope talking about Silver Bullet being one of the only werewolf movies she can still watch, because the werewolf doesn't show up much. Hope thought of many things as she was pedaling, afraid of trying to say something and forming no coherent sentence. Starting with the failure to get information about the disease. The day just wasn't lost because they prevented theft of dozens of works of art – damaging some in the process. She never imagined using her skills to combat this kind of crime but was pleased when some police cars drove past her heading for the harbor. The fight with werewolves replayed in her mind like a movie and she pointed out every mistake she made. If it was a full moon, they would not have such a good result. They entered that warehouse without a decent strategy, she should have talked with Penelope about running away if something went wrong. Penelope fought well but put herself at risk throughout the confrontation. Hope was sure she was more hurt than she looked. Maybe involving Penelope in this, even if she was a powerful witch, was a mistake. They had barely completed 24 hours together and Hope felt that Penelope was collecting problems with powerful people. Hope also thought about the good luck kiss. In a distorted way it ended up working, after all she didn't remember to check which phase of the moon was to go watch over werewolves – another strategic mistake. She thought about what she should do now, how she should act with Penelope. She wondered if it would be weird if she talked about the kiss casually before leaving the girl at home and back to the hostel.

Hope came back to reality when she noticed some familiarity as she reached Penelope Street. The daylight was gone, and she was beginning to feel tired from the intense physical activity during the day. Penelope also showed signs of physical distress as she tossed her bike on the sidewalk and sat in front of the gate leading to her apartment. Still unsure of what to do, Hope mimicked the girl's action – abandoning the bike more gently – and sat down beside her. They remained silent for a while, watching some people pass by the street. Sometimes Hope looked toward the store where the man had freaked out the day before. She was also looking undercover at Penelope, trying to muster the courage to do or say something. It was in one of those peeks that she saw Penelope smile and the smile turn into a laugh, with a little hesitation because of the pain the girl was feeling. Despite this, Hope was infected by the witch's mood and could not control the laughter either.

During the laughs, Penelope said she couldn't believe the day they had. She had no idea she was going to fight werewolves on vacation, which led her to say that she quit her temporary job last night. She laughed even more when she remembered that Hope thought she was in danger and didn't try to call Penelope to see if the girl was all right. Hope felt renewed. For a moment she forgot the danger they both faced a few hours ago, she felt safe. Between the laughs she tried to imagine that she was in Belgium for a different reason. She would be in Paris, in a line for some tourist attraction, and text Penelope asking if she could visit her. Penelope would show the city, avoiding the places most frequented by tourists, and yet show the best the city could offer. Hope stopped laughing, she was tired of imagining. Penelope stopped laughing when she felt a hand on her face and saw Hope approaching. It began with a touch of lips; both wanting to prolong and capture that moment forever. Hope couldn't tell who started the real kiss. She felt like if they do it all the time, it seemed so natural. Hope tried to deepen the kiss, bringing her other hand to Penelope's body. She felt the girl shiver at the touch, immediately remembering the fight. On instinct she cast a nonverbal healing spell, which caused Penelope to break the kiss.

  
— Did you kiss me to use a spell?

— Not! This was not intentional. The spell. The kiss was totally intentional.

The newly healed witch couldn't help but laugh again. The night would end in a way she never imagined could happen. She didn't believe she'd see Hope in person anytime soon. Her goal was to finish school in Belgium, return to her homeland, and maybe meet Hope just to say hello – no plans for kisses, because she didn't believe the tribrid would be alone for much longer. Penelope took a deep breath – the pain was gone – as she rested her head on Hope's shoulder and thanked her for casting the spell. As she wondered if this was the time to end the night, Hope heard high-heeled footsteps next to them, along with a tug of wheels. The last step was firm, making a statement: attention!

— Would've killed you answer the phone? — Asked Lizzie Saltzman with a suitcase next to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, the chapter got bigger than I planned, and I needed to cut the sequel after that ending. The good news is that I already have something written for the next chapter.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


	4. The diamond road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people who like Henelope, are you still here? I forgot that I had already finished this chapter (blame my Overwatch addiction), and almost lost it when my computer have problems last Saturday. It took me two days to translate and probably has some mistakes that went unnoticed, I apologize for that.

Hope was worried. The day was already too long, and she didn't expect a surprise to end the night. She didn't need a surprise. Stopping a pack of werewolves that were involved in fake artwork was not good enough to give her a few hours of peace, the girl wondered. She caught the bad guys – not the ones she was after, but it was something – kissed the girl at the end ... it looked like a great action movie script. She wasn't ready for a sequel before catching her breath. She was not prepared Civil War version of her Avengers Squad in the middle of a street in Belgium. As soon as she laid eyes on Lizzie, Penelope stood and headed toward the girl. Hope was worried because she expected a battle of insults – maybe something physical – between the girls, but they didn't exchange a single word. The two were facing each other just staring at each other, Lizzie with a clear irritation on her face and Penelope showed no emotion. Hope watched this for minutes, she believed if she lit a match in front of them the city would explode with such tension surrounding both.

— What are you doing here, Lizzie? — Hope finally asked.

— You said you found The Dark Lord — she answered without looking away from Penelope. — I came to rescue you from the claws of evil.

— I don't need to be rescued, especially from Penelope. How did you find me here?

— I thought you were in Brussels, or something, I didn't remember the city on the news. After getting tired of calling you all day, I called Josie to ask if she knew where this creature in front of me lived. By the way, thanks for not answering your phone, Hope, it was wonderful to explain to my sister why I wanted Satan's address. I arrived here a few minutes ago.

Of course, the damn ringing phone could only be Lizzie, Hope thought, she had this craze to call several times – or text – without waiting a minute if the person was busy. This, however, was not what most caught Hope's eye.

— Does Josie have your address?

— Yes — Penelope answered in an almost tedious tone, not looking away from the girl in front of her either. — She asked me last week. We talked a few times.

— What? — the two other girls asked surprises.

— She called me sometimes after I left Salvatore. We finally talked about our failed relationship, which would have no future even if I came back in a few years.

— I thought you gave it to her when you left — Lizzie said, finally speaking directly to Penelope.

— From time to time she sends me a message asking if I'm fine and then asks me something strange, without context. I figured she wanted to know my address to pass far away from here, considering that Hope told me about your vacationing in France.

— Hope talks to you too?

— All the time — Penelope answered teasingly. — And when I call her, she picks up on the first ring.

— Penelope, are you trying to make Lizzie murder me too?

— Never! She could never get past through me.

— Oh Satan, you would never win. You wouldn't even be able to beat me in a simple staring contest.

— You're right — Penelope began —, you won this time. You can tell everyone that I couldn't look at your ugly face for too long — the girl turned, picking up the bikes from the floor. — I'll return the bikes, go home to take a shower and sleep, because I'm too exhausted to handle this.

Hope watched Penelope pull away, riding a bicycle and dragging the other in one hand, at the same street Lizzie has appeared. She tried to help Penelope, but the witch said the rental location was close and she could do it herself. Hope wanted to help not only by being right, but she also wanted to know if Penelope was okay. Getting a surprise visit from Lizzie Saltzman wasn't easy, she always freaked out whenever Lizzie came into her room without warning. Hope could only imagine the horrible feeling Penelope could feel at that moment; Meet Lizzie for the first time after so long. After all, their relationship was built on pure hatred for each other, even though they both wanted the good of the same person. The proximity they were in before the blonde's arrival wasn't good either. If Lizzie had come to Belgium after the mention of Penelope, Hope didn't even want to imagine what she would do if she knew they had kissed minutes ago.

— How did your parents let you come here alone?

— I said Paris was boring, which is true, and I asked to keep you company. They, of course, wouldn't let me come. So I pretended to be very nervous, made some things shake, and here I am.

— You shouldn't lie about your mental health.

— I know, but it was for a greater good! Speaking about lies let's talk about your friendship with the Mother of Darkness. How long have you been lying to me, to Josie?

— I didn't lie, Lizzie. I just didn't want any unworthy judgment every time I texted her about my day.

— At least now I'm sure you weren't lying every time you said, 'Nobody, really' when I asked you whom you were talking to on your phone — Lizzie said in a mocking tone.

— See? That's why I kept my relationship with Penelope a secret — Hope replied, a little anger in her voice. — My friendship with her is totally different from what I have with you, with Josie or with the boys. I need to talk to someone who is not directly connected with what happens in Salvatore and at the same time understands the craziness that appears there. Lizzie, it's not too much to ask to stop being Hope Mikaelson for a few minutes of the day reading a terrible joke from Penelope Park. I need this, I need to escape reality so as not to go crazy with all the responsibility that I imposed on myself. Penelope is the person who allows me to escape reality.

— It doesn't change what she did to me and my sister!

— Honestly? I don't care — Hope said. — Every story has at least two versions, in this case, it has three. I didn't want to know any side back then and I don't want to know now. I have my sins, she definitely does too, so do you and Josie.

— I can't believe you're talking to me like that! She has already begun to corrupt your soul, Hope.

— Yes, Lizzie, she's corrupting my soul. — Hope sighed with tiredness. — I hope she corrupts a lot more.

Just as Lizzie would answer Hope's strange comment, she saw Penelope approaching and decided to keep quiet. The blonde witch watched the other witch get closer and closer, she could see that, in fact, Penelope looked tired to the point of not wanting to insult Lizzie. She wondered what the two of them – she noticed that Hope was tired too – were doing during the day to be like this early in the evening, making her calls ignored. She couldn't imagine how a simple investigation into a disease in Belgium would make anyone look like they needed a day at a spa.

— If you two have finished arguing in the street, I'll take a shower and go to sleep like a rock — Penelope said, heading toward the gate.

— Yeah, we're done — Hope said, she didn't want to carry on with Lizzie, not that day. — Where is the hotel you will be staying in? I will accompany you.

— What do you mean?? I will stay in your room.

— I don't think the hostel would let you stay in my room. But there must be some vacancies in the shared rooms.

— I will not sleep in a room full of strangers! I will sleep in your room and you stay with them.

— No way! — Hope said. — There must be a hotel with a room available.

— A decent hotel at this time in the peak season for tourists? Good luck — Penelope sneered. — She can save time and go find a bench, there's one under the tree on the central lawn of my school that is wonderful.

— That wouldn't be happening if you answered your damn phone.

— You can stay in my apartment until tomorrow morning, this is my good action of the decade.

— I'd rather sleep in that river in the middle of town.

— So you would rather be homeless in a country you have never visited rather than accept help from someone you know? This is so much more stupid than I thought you could be — to Penelope's credit, the girl was really trying to help Lizzie. She felt a little sorry for the girl, but the main reason was that she was sure Hope would accompany the blonde until she found a place to stay. — Hope, can you get Lizzie into your room? She can stay there and you stay here.

— No! I'll stay here — Lizzie said, almost yelling. — Hope's been too long with you, I don't know how much longer until you poison her, but it won't be tonight. As soon as the sun rises I escape this snake's den.

— Don't worry, I wouldn't let you stay a minute longer — the witch said opening the building gate, gesturing for Lizzie to pass. The blonde hesitated for a few seconds before going through the gate. Penelope looked at Hope, who was strangely quiet, probably confused by what just happened. She wouldn't judge the girl, Penelope didn't understand very well either. — Can you come here at eight to see if one of us is still alive?

Hope answered with a slight nod, unable to use words. Penelope stood to wait for something more until she got tired of waiting. Hope was alone on the sidewalk and her concern multiplied. She did not understand why she was unable to prevent this strange agreement between the two witches. Perhaps she was paralyzed by Penelope's offer. Hope never asked Penelope what Lizzie did to make her declare war on the blonde – not even Lizzie could say for sure – but Penelope was rarely negative about Lizzie when Hope mentioned her. Hope wasn't naive, she knew Penelope still cared about Josie, meaning she still didn't like the other Saltzman. However, during all these months getting to know the girl by messages, she also realized that Penelope was not the monster the twins described. She was not so selfish, or manipulative, or heartless, or a being made of pure evil. Sometimes Penelope would ask how things were in Salvatore, indicating that she wanted to know how their mutual friends were – and that included Lizzie. Hope knew she wouldn't let Lizzie stay on the streets – an exaggeration of the blonde – she only imagined Penelope would call any of her royalty connections and tidy up a hotel after driving Lizzie crazy.

The girl stayed in the same place, she needed to make sure the apocalypse wouldn't start on the second floor of that building. No screams, no explosions, sounded like a quiet summer night – which raised Hope's concern. It was impossible that they would be civilizing in this apartment, Hope thought, probably one was already dead and being dissolved in the kitchen sink. She felt her phone vibrate, then ring loudly, it was Penelope calling.

— Are you still in front of the gate? — Penelope asked, getting a quick no for an answer. — So I see your doppelgänger?

— No! — Hope glanced toward the apartment, seeing only Penelope's head outside the window. — I don't think I can get out of here — continued, still looking at Penelope —, someone needs to be prepared to break up the fight.

— There will be no fight, Hope. She's tired of the trip, practically climbed the bed and is already lying down. You should do the same.

The next day Hope got out of bed before the alarm went off, she wouldn't leave those two alone longer than necessary. At eight o'clock Hope knocked on her apartment door, holding a paper bag full of croissants and a tray with three cups of coffee – which nearly fell when Penelope opened the door and hugged her. Penelope kept her head between the girl's neck and shoulder, leaving her voice muffled as she spoke nonstop, Hope could barely understand a full sentence, listening to "snoring like a pig" and "a hungry monster". Hope was right to worry all night, barely able to sleep, the little truce between the two witches ended. Giving Penelope a clumsy hug, not touching her hands so as not to ruin their breakfast, Hope enjoyed the warmth coming from the girl. The worry she had felt since last night vanished, her heart pounded, and she remembered the moments before Lizzie appeared. She wanted to be near Penelope, it was a comfort she hadn't felt in a long time, something she didn't even know she missed that much. But there were more important questions at the moment, like feed Lizzie or prevent humans from getting sick.

Still hugging Penelope, Hope walks forward forcing the girl to go back until they were inside the apartment. Lizzie immediately grabbed breakfast off Hope's hand, ignoring the situation, after all, she was starving. To the girl's credit, she actually woke up as soon as the sun came through the windows and considered leaving the apartment, but she supposed Hope would still be sleeping and she didn't want to wait on the street again. Penelope also woke up at the same time and saw no problem letting the blonde stay a few more hours there, she even offered food to the girl – old pizza in the fridge or cat food. After that, things went back to normal between the two, Lizzie said that Penelope was a terrible hostess and Penelope kept mentioning her difficulty sleeping because of the blonde's snores. Penelope has the habit of having her first meal of the day in a small bakery near her house, a small sanctuary smelling like freshly baked bread and cakes where she begins to plan the day. Lizzie's presence there would ruin the place forever and she wouldn't leave the blonde alone in the apartment, so Penelope texted Hope asking for food to soothe the blonde.

Releasing the hug and thanking Hope, Penelope grabbed a cup of coffee, took a long sip, and headed for the backpack she'd worn the day before. The witch removed several items from inside, leaving room for what she would need for this new day – and Hope noticed there would be many items. Penelope started by pulling a small iron pan out of the cupboard and placing it on the sink, then opened the fridge and pulled out a few herbal sprigs that were inside – not just pizza there, but she doubted Lizzie would eat that. She went back to the cupboard, this time taking pots with what looked like spices, but in fact, they were ingredients to perform more complex spells. Hope now at the table, eating a croissant in the company of Lizzie – who was stroking the cat with her feet – wondered if Penelope was planning on cooking something very strange and try to force the blonde to eat that. Not long after, Penelope asked Hope to throw her crown that was right behind the girl on the shelf. Hope hadn't seen the crown before the girl mentioned it, probably a concealment spell, and was a little shocked by the shiny item on top of a book. The crown was a small silver tiara, like those of movie princesses, and resembled a delicate and elegant version of an Olive Crown, with two translucent gemstones on each small leaf and a flower in the center made of larger gemstone – Hope could have sworn it looked like diamonds. The tiara caught the eye of Lizzie, who watched Hope throw the object as if it were a baseball to Penelope, she felt the magic flowing from there.

The moment she entered the apartment, she felt him completely overwhelmed by magic, as if she will be in Salvatore. However, she could not locate the source of the magic, now located in Penelope's hands. The girl picked up a kitchen knife and stuck the tip into one of the crown's gemstones until, after several attempts, the stone came loose. She tossed the loose gem into her backpack and looked at Lizzie, they faced each other again, so Penelope repeated the process of removing a gemstone from the crown, this time tossing the small stone for the blonde to take. Confused, Lizzie studied the small translucent stone in her hand, she felt that some of the magic from the crown was present in the gemstone, but the crown still possessed most of the power. It was a clever strategy for magic without exhausting the source at once, Lizzie thought.

— Is that a real diamond?— the blonde asked, now looking at him closely as if to help answer the question.

— Kind of. It's one of those artificial diamonds that are made with DNA from a person or animal — Penelope replied, throwing the crown back at Hope. — They used my hair DNA and amplified my magic inside the diamond. If I needed a source of magic for any reason, I just need to find a way to extract it from the diamond. You are holding the most perfect form of Penelope Park, which nature has not been able to do on its own, Lizzie. Feel honored.

— I don't want a Penelope diamond — said with disgust.

— I'm saving time, because we all know you'll try to convince Hope to leave with you, probably spend a few days in Amsterdam without your parents, but Hope will stay here. Then you will follow us because you don't want to leave Hope alone with me. Since yesterday we got into a fight, you better have something with magic to absorb.

— That sounds like something Lizzie would do — Hope said as she watched the crown disappear as soon as she placed it on the same shelf. — By the way, what are we going to do today?

— We're going to hunt a cowboy — the witch replied as she reached into a large glass jar full of flaked oats. She pulled out a plastic bag with several folded papers that were hidden in the jar. After a quick search among the papers, all with spells she copied from the royal archive, she found the one she wanted and kept the rest in the same place. Penelope believed that the best way to hide those spells would be by not using magic, leaving no trace. — He'll learn not to play with Penelope Park.

After breakfast was over, and Penelope explained to Lizzie why she had a crown, the girls followed Penelope for about twenty minutes to a tree-lined area between a highway and a cluster of houses. Hope couldn't tell where they were, all the streets looked the same to her: houses following the same building pattern, lots of tree-lined areas, and perfect roads. They stopped in a small clearing near the houses, but not close enough to be seen. Penelope began to remove the items from her backpack and asked Hope to cast a spell to hide them in that area. Not understanding what was happening, Lizzie just watched Penelope pick up some grass and soil from the place, put it on a piece of cloth, and put it in her pants pocket. Then she positioned the pan over where she took the earth and was adding the other items collected from her apartment into the pan, ending with the diamond in the center of everything. Penelope walked away, asking the girls to do the same, and began to recite the words written on the paper. Neither Hope nor Lizzie identified what kind of spell the witch was casting, the words were unfamiliar – archaic Latin – and the combination of the ingredients made no sense. Penelope repeated the spell a few more times until the pan began to stir as if it were vibrating in an earthquake, and a black slime spurted from it.

The dark liquid kept coming out of the pan, covering the ground until it stopped completely as if it reached an invisible barrier. The black goo continued to gush, making the pan disappear in the center, while Penelope bent forward, knocking out everything in her stomach. Even with the help of diamond magic, that spell put a heavy strain on the witch, making her feel sick. Hope and Lizzie, even with disgust, helped the girl not to collapse on the floor, letting her recover from his discomfort. Minutes later, Penelope gathered herself and looked at what she had just created: the now inert goo was at least 12 inches high and occupied an area of about two square meters – it looked like a giant aquarium without the glass. Everything looked exactly as it was described in the spellbook.

— Ready to hit someone today? — Penelope asked looking straight at Hope.

— If this “someone” is that emo cowboy, I look forward to it. This — Hope pointed to the goo, not wanting to think how much it looked like Malivore — is part of the plan?

— Yeah. Technically it's a prison. Those who enter there can only leave after the goo has been absorbed by the soil, in this case, it will be 24 hours. You'll be able to go out wearing this anchor — she handed the cloth with grass and soil to Hope. — Magic is nullified inside, he will be without options but to collaborate.

— You must be crazy if you think Hope will get into this thing.

— I didn't want her to come in alone — she said, looking straight at Hope —, but I have to respect some limits. Feel free to come in with her, Lizzie.

— No, thanks. Besides, I don't even know who they are talking about.

— About him — Penelope answered, pointing to a man in cowboy clothes in tons of black and graffiti, wandering distractedly between trees. Hope acted in seconds, casting a spell that stunned the man for a minute. She approaches and pulls his hand, taking advantage of the confusion he was feeling, pushing him to the limit of the goo.

— You can come in — Penelope said. — Trust me.

Hope didn't doubt Penelope, she knew she would be safe there, what made her hesitate was the resemblance. Malivore was very recent to her and this slime was very similar. However, she stepped forward, sinking at the height of her shin in the slime. It felt strange: it wasn't wet, it didn't have a different temperature, it wasn't even heavy, and at the same time it was wet, cold and overwhelming. She dragged the man, throwing him to the floor. Even promising herself for a long time that she would control her bad feelings, Hope could not control the anger she felt at looking at this man. She believes part of the fault that Penelope and she were in danger the day before was because of herself, but that cowboy should be trusted – they practically ran into a trap –, he was as responsible for the events as much as her. Whatever she needed to do to make him pay for what she will do.

— _What happened?_ — the man asked. He stood up, still a little dizzy, staring at the goo on his body. Then he spotted Hope, recognizing her. His reaction was to move away from the girl, taking a few steps backward, hitting the invisible wall that limited the slime. Turning, he came across Penelope in front of him. — _What do you think you are doing?_

— I'm not doing anything. But if I were, I'd say I'm having a little revenge for giving me the wrong information.

— You asked me about something suspicious in town, _Princess._ — I was right about the werewolves.

— You knew about my request to the Elders regarding werewolves. You answered just one question, making us believe in something that I wanted to hear — the witch was disappointed with herself for being so easily fooled. — When I asked to investigate your routine, to know how and when to find you, I learned deplorable things. I made a mistake trusting you so fast.

— Admittedly, I was just mocking you. The Midnight Texas would never break trust with the royalty. Let me out of here and we can work it out. I'll tell you everything you want to know, it's about that disease, right?

— I can't get him out of there — she answered in a mocking tone.

— Bullshit! — He shouted, hitting the invisible wall. — I was clearly attacked and dragged to this shit. You have to get me out of here! It's your duty!

— Do you want to hear my duties? There it goes: “I, Penelope Park, one of three witch princesses of Belgian, the first of the hierarchy, am aware of my obligations to my people. When I see the need, I must support them, protect them, defend them, and save them, knowing that all witch life is important to my reign. However, I must assess whether my actions have not endangered my life or kingdom”.

— You're playing dirty.

— I always play dirty, honey. You're not in Belgium, you're at pocket dimension called No Men’s Land — now Penelope acted indifferently, preferring to try to wipe the dirt off her nails instead of looking at the cowboy, she wanted to make him desperate. — I read that only a person with an anchor to this world can get out of there. I do not have one. So if I enter there to save you, I'd be stuck too.

— Nice move, Princess. But don't think I'll tell you something after I get out of here.

— I'm sure after you get out of there, we'll both be great friends. In my good faith, I will give you two bits of advice. The first: You can't cast spells in there., so save your time. The second: don't turn your back on her, you know what Europeans say about the Mikaelson family.

Seizing the opportunity, Hope once again threw the man to the floor. She's a Mikaelson, but she wouldn't hurt that man like a Mikaelson would – not after hearing what Penelope said –, much less in Lizzie's presence. She understood why Penelope did all this. If they had approached the cowboy otherwise, they couldn't do much to scare him. In another dimension – which Hope found very cool – Penelope, as a princess, would not be required to intervene. She couldn't use magic there either, but she felt his wolf side unchanged maintaining her physical superiority. She was already in advantage. Looking at Penelope's serenity and Lizzie's fear, she knew she wouldn't have to go that far to get what they wanted. The man tried to get up, but Hope shoved him with his foot, making him completely submerged in the goo for a few seconds. He stood up and tried unsuccessfully to cast a spell, which caused Hope to push him against the edge of the dimension.

— How much do you think you can handle until you give up and start talking? — Hope asked as the color of her eyes changed to bright yellow. Judging from the man's reaction, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, seeing that she was a werewolf and he was helpless inside, Hope knew it wouldn't be long before he started talking. She just didn't realize it would be right away.

— It's not a disease! Please do not hurt me. Don't hurt me! — the man begged, wincing against the invisible wall.

— I won't if you explain better.

— It's not a disease, it's a drug — he continued. — Humans are buying a drug that makes them act like crazy when they use it a lot.

— Do you believe this, Princess Park?"

— It is the truth! — the cowboy shouted in despair. — They call it Scarlet Dew, because of the red color. I heard that a drop works for a day. The supposed disease is only the side effect in those who abused the drug.

— Where is it circling? — asked Penelope.

— Where the biggest diamond shines. You can go there and see that I'm not lying.

Seeing that Penelope wasn't confused by the answer, as Hope had, she decided for herself that this was enough for the hour. She just had to step out of the goo, just as it came in, to get out of the pocket dimension. Surprisingly, she had no trace of the slime on her clothes or hands, everything was gone. The cowboy began hitting the invisible wall and screaming when he saw the witches moving away from the scene. When they kept a safe distance from being seen or heard by him, Hope stopped to discuss what had happened.

— Do you think he's telling the truth?

— Technically, he didn't lie about yesterday. He gave in so fast, you did nothing.

— He got scared so easy — Hope said. — Are we going to investigate this Scarlet Dew now?"

— Why? — asked Lizzie. She was so quiet, which is not normal, that Hope and Penelope almost forgot her presence there. — He said humans are getting sick from a drug. This investigation, with very strange methods of getting information, began because Hope thought it was supernatural. It is not. Now we can leave this country and never see the face of Princess of the Damned again.

— I can't believe I'll agree with Lizzie. If it's a drug, human researchers will find out

— So we'll believe what he said without even investigating for ourselves? — Hope asked incredulously.

— Tonight I will go there to be sure. You are free from your obligation to save the world.

— You won't go alone — Hope said, trying to mask the hurt in her voice —, not after what happened yesterday.

— There is no danger. The place is in the diamond district, right in the middle of dozens of diamond-filled shops. That place is super safe.

— It doesn't matter, we go together. And if you insist on denying it, I'll follow you like a creepy stalker.

— All right! I will go home to hug my cat and take a nap. Be at my apartment at 10 pm — Penelope said already walking to leave.

— Wait! Are you saying there is a whole neighborhood with diamond shops? — Lizzie asked with dreamy eyes and a smile on her face. Penelope only nodded, the city had been famous for the diamond trade since the fifteenth century, but of course, the blonde wouldn't know that. — So one of these stores is selling the drug?

— Are you seriously asking if a diamond store is selling drugs?

— Anything is possible, Satan.

— The "biggest diamond" means the most frequented nightclub in town — Penelope said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. — It's very nice, it’s in the old Diamond Museum. It always looks like a party in an abandoned mansion.

Returning to the city center together, Lizzie took her bag from Penelope's apartment and went, along with Hope, to find a hotel to stay. A few hours later, to anyone's surprise, Lizzie was wearing a low-cut blue dress, high heels, and flawless makeup – Hope suspected the girl was already planning to go to a nightclub when she left France. She wasn't interested in investigating the supposed drug that was apparently making humans with symptoms of rabies, but she would never waste the chance to go to a party – and wouldn't leave Hope alone with Penelope in the middle of a nightclub. The other two were in their casual clothes, for the simple fact that if something went wrong again they would not have to worry about clothes messing up. Hope spent the entire afternoon refusing Lizzie's proposal to go to a store to buy more appropriate nightclub clothes. For Penelope, Hope didn't have to work hard to get attractive – and she made sure to say it out loud, making the tribrid blush.

A few minutes walking south of the city, with Lizzie complaining about Penelope deliberately making her walk in those high heels, they arrived in the diamond district. As in any other commercial area of the city, all shops were already closed, leaving the streets uncrowded. The only hint of a nightclub in this place was a huge line in the center of the neighborhood. People spoke excitedly, in several languages, with drinks and cigarettes in their hands, having a party outside while they couldn't find a place inside. Ignoring the end of the line, Penelope made her way to the entrance of the old museum, stopping in front of two security guards controlling the entrance. If it weren't for the line, Hope noted, she would never know this place was a nightclub. The site had the same sandstone block structure as the surrounding shops, giving it the impression of being in a medieval village. A third man came up saying something to the security guards, making them release passage for the girls – another advantage of Penelope's title.

Penelope wasn't kidding when she said the place looked like a party in an abandoned house. The paint on the walls was faded, with graffiti everywhere, and even with broken blocks and cracks, the wooden floor was scratched and stained everywhere. The place was wide, but Hope realized that at some point there were rooms there, because some supporting columns had more blocks, seeming to form a wall. What struck her most was a huge hole in the ceiling, right in the center of the room, letting people on the first floor wonder what was going on up there – where the girls were going. The second floor was similar to the first, less crowded and with places to sit. They sat on a huge couch – in a private area – Lizzie already keeping up with the music, Penelope waving to some people and Hope just looked around. It was only 10 pm and people were already drunk, dancing around the hole in the ground.

— Is this where you fell? — Hope asked Penelope, remembering a conversation they had at the very beginning of the message exchange.

It was the first photo they exchanged when Hope, at 9 pm, sent a picture of her face glued to a library table filled with books, subtitled the picture as "Moment Now." The witch in Belgium replied half an hour later, a selfie inside an ambulance showed Penelope with some blood running down her arms and head, with the caption "Moment Now ... I'm fine". With a few more messages she explained that she fell on some people in a nightclub.

— It was here — replied a girl in a white dress shirt, waistcoat and black bow tie, looking about the same age as the witches, while she placed three cups of something very pink on the small table in front of the couch. — They say she was the only one to do this.

— Agathe, why do you always need to talk about this? — Penelope said hiding her face with her hands.

— Because it's the only way to make Your Highness embarrassed— the girl with a slight accent replied. — Hello, my name is Agathe and I will be your personal waitress tonight. This floor is reserved for witches and associates, feel free to ask whatever the house has to offer. And enjoy the privilege offered to royalty.

— What is this? — Lizzie asked taking the drink.

— Pink Squirrel, Princess Penelope's favorite drink — Agathe replied. — Your Highness ordered this drink 167. Currently is the most popular order in the house, young witches love to follow the style of the princess.

For a moment Lizzie considered asking for something else, she didn't want to give the impression that she would take it because of Penelope and that strange thing about being a princess. However, the color was beautiful and looked tasty, she didn't want to wait any longer to start enjoying the place – she wasn't there to investigate. Hope, out of curiosity – because she was there to investigate – tasted the drink, had a pleasant taste of almonds and cherries. She was about to take another drink when she saw Agathe, with a big smile, sit on Penelope's lap. The waitress didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Penelope's neck, who didn't seem uncomfortable with the situation. That made Hope's body freeze.

— So one of those is Hopey, the fantastic Mikaelson, who you keep talking about?

— These are Hope Mikaelson and Lizzie Saltzman — Penelope indicated who was who.

— Lizzie Saltzman the ex?

— No! — the three girls almost screamed sick. — Lizzie, the sister — Penelope added.

— Nice to meet you Hope, the best person in the world, and Lizzie, the extreme opposite — Agathe said playfully, copying what she'd heard from Penelope. I'm the only witch in school who's not afraid to talk to our little princess, so I'm the only one listening to her complain about Salvadore, Salvatore School?

— That's because you were born without a sense of boundaries and spying on everything I do. It's easier to tell everything instead of trying to avoid you.

— But you like my limitlessness — the waitress said, moving closer to Penelope. — Can I do anything else for you? — she asked slowly, almost completely disappearing with his accent as he

— Yes — Penelope began to speak. — You can bring us the Scarlet Dew.

— This is impossible. How about a German beer?

— If I asked for any other drugs, even if I don't use them, you would bring them to me.

— The only word above yours in this city comes from the Elders. This is not a normal drug, the Elders forbade circulation on this floor a week after she started circulating here.

Frustrated, Penelope asked for the drug once again without success. That was strange, Hope thought, wondering why the Elders banned witch use. It made sense to protect the community by considering the effects the alleged substance abuse was having on humans.

— Did any witch ever use the drug before it was banned? — Hope asked, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.

— Not to my knowledge, Hopey.

— Can you at least tell us who sells?

— No, because that would be the same as fetching for you — the waitress said getting up. — Even if it was okay for you to get them, they don't sell the drugs in here.

— What do you mean? — asked Penelope.

— I heard that Scarlet Dew is very sensitive to temperature change, if it does not get refrigerated it spoils. People buy here and receive elsewhere.

— Where, Agathe? And don't say you don't know, I really doubt that.

— I don't know the exact place, really. I know it's a store, like those grocery stores in residential areas.

Hope and Penelope quickly looked at each other, both having the same thought: the store on Penelope street. It might be a coincidence that the last case of the "illness" happened in front of a store, the man practically tried to enter it using his head. He could be trying to buy more, Hope thought, and somehow things went wrong for him. They never thought to investigate the store, maybe the clues were in front of them all the time and they didn't see it. Penelope wasn't in the habit of watching what happened on the street she lives in, but she never noticed anything strange there, not even the flow of people walking around there seemed to be any greater in recent months – even as tourists arrived in summer.

— Can you tell us anything else, please? — Hope asked.

— You shouldn't mess with that. Drug dealers are dangerous, the Elders too. — Agathe looked around, then back to the girls. — Can I go get a German beer now?

— Of course not — Penelope said after finish the pink drink in one gulp. — Bring me my Pink Squirrel, please.

— Immediately — the waitress said excitedly. — 168!

— Stop counting!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter should only arrive after November 10th, my next weeks are very busy. Sorry to make you wait so long. And I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


End file.
